Impact of different crosslinking agents on functional properties of curcumin-loaded gliadin-chitosan composite nanoparticles

The impact of different crosslinking agents (tripolyphosphate, phytic acid and sodium phytate) on functional properties of gliadin-chitosan composite nanoparticles was exploited in this study. The composite nanoparticles were testified as promising encapsulation and delivery system for curcumin. Addition of chitosan could increase the encapsulation efficiency of curcumin in gliadin nanoparticles. In the presence of crosslinking agents, sodium tripolyphosphate modified curcumin-loaded gliadin-chitosan composite nanoparticles, leading to the highest encapsulation efficiency of curcumin. Fluorescence spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared analyses revealed that sodium tripolyphosphate could interact with the nanoparticles through exposure of more amino acid residues and formation of noncovalent interactions. Correspondingly, curcumin in the composite nanoparticles modified by phytic acid and sodium phytate exhibited better thermal and UV light stability than that in sodium tripolyphosphate modified particles. The composite nanoparticles treated by sodium phytate showed the best neuroprotective effect in neuronal cells with the lowest level of NO production, IL-1β and IL-6. Therefore, sodium phytate had a potential in delivery system for a better protection and release of curcumin in vitro. Furthermore, the application of crosslinking agents was potential in the fabrication of composite nanoparticles to enhance the functional attributes of bioactive compounds.